Hi all - well we decided NOT to do a cruise and try to see some of the real alaska.
Flying in July 2009, and from research planning to spend a few days in Anchorage and then a number of days in Seward.
I have read many of the posts - we have kids 8 and 13 who are pretty adventurous but the 8 year old bores easily.
Before I finalize, ie pay, for lodging, I was wondering about forsaking the security of a home port type accomodation and looking into the whole RV thing.
We have NEVER RV%26#39;d (I picture my husband as the Robin williams character in the movie of the same name) and it sounds fun but I am concerned about safety as I read a few websites that suggested that RVing alone is kind of dangerous. However we do camp so its not like we expect room service or anything.
So what I am looking for is not to miss stuff and the concept of an RV and how far in advance reservations would need to be made.
I understand the concept of driving a lot (a lot of folks come to California and think they can do stuff from San Francisco to our area in a few days) so I decided Anchorage and the Kenai pennisula was out best bet.
Again looking for input and more info on RVing with kids.
thanks SO much in advance
Family Trip July with kids - ideas
%26gt;%26gt;Hi all - well we decided NOT to do a cruise and try to see some of the real alaska.
Just for the sake of others reading this, you can see the ';real'; Alaska on a cruise. In fact, you only need to get a few hundred yards from the cruise dock and you often rarely see another cruise ship passenger. The key is to have a plan for when you get off the ship.
You will see many tourists on a land trip as well.
How many nights are you planning on spending in Alaska?
Personally I would find it a shame to miss Denali, but with the 8 year old who bores easily that might be the only option. Or perhaps one parent and the older kid take the shuttle into the park and the other parent and the 8 year old stay near the entrance, rafting, etc.
Not sure what you mean by ';a few days'; in Anchorage. I would probably spend 2 or max 3 nights there. Maybe the first night when you arrive, see sights in Anchorage the next day, one more night, then move on.
Speaking of the ';real'; Alaska, they say Alaska is only a 1/2 hour drive from Anchorage.
The nice thing about RV%26#39;ing is not having to plan the lodging, except perhaps at Denali. You can pull into any available RV park or even off the side of the road in many places. With the RV, you can save on some meal costs (eating out in AK is not necessarily cheap).
I have been around TA several years and never heard that RV%26#39;ing in AK is dangerous. There are certainly posts about thefts from cars when valuables are not secure but that happens all over the US, not just in AK.
I would book an RV ASAP, and would consider booking your first night%26#39;s lodging in Anchorage.
If you have 8-10 days I think you could see the highlights of the Kenai Peninsula and go to Denali as well if that interests you. Denali gives you a great chance to see wildlife and great scenery but of course no guarantees on wildlife.
John
Family Trip July with kids - ideas
';So what I am looking for is not to miss stuff';
You%26#39;ll have to tell us which ';stuff'; sounds interesting to you. Since you%26#39;ve been reading the forums, you ought to have a pretty good idea of what is available. For eg., no sense our suggesting that you do a fishing charter if you don%26#39;t like to fish, LOL.
';planning to spend a few days in Anchorage and then a number of days in Seward.';
I agree with John that 1 or at the most 2 days is sufficient for Anchorage. You might want to head north a bit to Hatcher Pass/Independence Mine, Palmer, and Matanuska Glacier (to do a guided Ice Fall Trek). Also, ';a number of days in Seward'; to me means 4 to 6, which is also too many IMO. Depends on what you intend to do.
';and the concept of an RV and how far in advance reservations would need to be made.';
As John said, you%26#39;ll do just fine in an RV. I never heard of any danger either. RV%26#39;s are a popular way to get about in Alaska, and would be ideal for your kids. They%26#39;ll have a table to sit at to do activities or play games while you and hubby drive. Bring lots for them to do, plus LOTS of batteries....get the younger one involved in Jr. Ranger activities.
You might want to test-drive an RV in your hometown to get the feel of the size you%26#39;re comfortable with. And make the reservations NOW. ABC and GAH are 2 companies often mentioned on these forums, and I think one of them has a coupon in Toursaver.
Speaking of which, check into both Toursaver and Northern Lights 2 for 1 coupon books to see if they might be useful to you. Just don%26#39;t fall into the trap of letting the coupons run your trip: don%26#39;t do a tour just because one company has a coupon for it, if you%26#39;d really rather do the tour offered by another company. If you have regrets later, was the savings really worth it?
';and would consider booking your first night%26#39;s lodging in Anchorage.';
Good advice; however, first check with the RV company. Sometimes you can stay that first night in your RV. So until you find out, book another accommodation that has a full cancellation policy.
sorry - I wasnt clear enough before - excellent info above
my original plan was to fly in and spend 3 nights in Anchorage. Also we are talking mid July.
In total we have 9 days not including travel days as we are using frequent flier miles and the travel will be long. I was planning on spending the other time in Seward but if you think that is too much time, that is what I am trying to ferret out.
Sorry if I insulted anyone with the cruise comments - from what I could tell the cruises that go to Alaska arent that kid friendly (not like the ones to Mexico and the Caribbean). Hubbie and I have done cruises also.
Here are things we dont want to miss:
1) Husband loves to fish - thought would do the sea life museum in seward while he does a fishing trip.
2) My kids, especially 13 yr old daughter and I, really want to do something with sled dogs that doesnt cost a portion of their college savings fund (I have seen trips up to $400/day)
3) We really want to see Bears - although I have a VERY Active 8 yr old boy who I worried will want to pet them and subsequently become dinner.
4) from the posts I really want to do the hand track thing? what is the weight limit as I wouldnt want my 8 yr old to do alone.
5) the day cruises out of Seward look great but if we cant see whales I am not sure its worth it - we have done trips like this in Maine as well as the San Juan islands in WA state, where its a lot closer to see them. My daughter would love to see Beluga but maybe we should settle for them at our local Sea World! We also want to see glaciers (plural?).
6) wildlife, wildlife, wildlife - a consistent theme - I figure moose arent going to be that hard to find right?
7) the tram ride (not sure where?) I had also not heard about until these boards.
we like to get out and see stuff not just places that are on a tour.
last question is what the gas price currently in Alaska and I assume that RV%26#39;s get around 10 miles to the gallon or less.
Thanks again - sincerely appreciate all the info
for some reason my second post had a different ID - I AM MomEmily also - I used 2 different computers - go figure.
E
You can find current gas prices at www.gasbuddy.com.
I would spend 2 nights in Anchorage, two nights at Denali, one night on the return in the Matsu Valley area north of Anchorage, one night in Girdwood (where you can find the hand tram), two nights in Seward. That is eight nights. You can add a night somewhere you might really enjoy more once you get there. That is the beauty of having an RV.
If you took the Kenai Fjords NP tour I don%26#39;t think you would be disappointed if you couldn%26#39;t see whales. Lots of other marine wildlife, I even saw a bear and mountain goat from a distance, and the glaicer is a highlight. Just be sure you get a 6 hour or longer tour.
Exit Glacier would be great too - getting up close to the glacier.
I was not insulted by the cruise comment (I prefer land-based tours too) but cruises are an excellent value and I see them solely as meals, lodging and transportation - nothing more.
You can do one of a few sleddog rides in/near Wasilla. Manitoba will have all the info. Off the top of my head I can only think of the short ride at the Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla.
You will almost certainly see bears on the shuttle bus ride in Denali. The more days you spend at Denali, the greater your chances of seeing bears. No worries about your 8 year old - they won%26#39;t let him off the bus within 1/4 mile of a bear :-)
Moose can be seen in Denali, sometimes even in Anchorage. Have to keep your eyes open.
The Wildlife Conservation Center south of Girdwood toward Seward would be an excellent stop.
Now I will leave the detailed itinerary to Manitoba!
John
Be sure to go to a local book store and buy a Milepost. This will be very helpful in your planning; with the drive and with activities. I tent camped in Alaska and never feel unsafe. This time we%26#39;re getting an RV. Visiting an RV dealer and sitting behind the wheel helped put my mind at ease. I%26#39;m still nervous about parking, backing up and emptying tanks, but thousands of RV virgins have successful trips, so I%26#39;ll manage just fine.
I thought John%26#39;s itinerary was great and for the whole family. Denali was the highlight of my last trip; can%26#39;t wait to go back. Most 8 yr olds can%26#39;t sit too long, but spotting wildlife from the shuttle bus should hold his interest for awhile. When he gets bored, just hop off for a hike. The Visitors Center and dog sled demo are very interesting.
I go whale watching every year and just love it,so we%26#39;re doing the 9 hr Kenai cruise; not just for whales but for the scenery, glaciers and calving, and lots of sea life.
As for dog sledding, lots of people have written about Seavey%26#39;s Ididaride in Seward. $59 for tour and ride.
The kids might enjoy the Wildlife Center on the way to Seward.
Carol
My comments:
1. Fishing for hubby in 2 places: a half-day charter out of Seward (can also fish from shore), plus some time fishing in Kenai or Russian Rivers near Cooper Landing. And/or, see No. 3 below.
2. Sled dog tour: Ididaride in Seward, or about an hour north of Anchorage is Dream a Dream in Willow. Note neither has sled rides per se, substituting wheeled cart rides instead, but then you don’t have to fly up to a glacier (which is why some of the other tours like Godwin are so expensive).
3. Now, don’t say anything to son until you find out if he would be too young to take, but contact Talon Air in Soldotna (2 hrs. from Seward) about their bear-viewing, or perhaps better still, bear-viewing/fishing combo. It’s $350 pp, much less expensive than the bear-viewing out of Homer, and they do that tour during July so your timing is perfect. In fact, I believe their boats have room for 4, so you’d have the whole boat and be able to have some say in what you spend more time doing. But again, I don’t know what their minimum age would be. If you find out, please pass that info along to us.
If that doesn’t work out, you might see bears while doing the Russian River Falls hike (2 hrs). Might. Or possibly near Exit Glacier. Possibly. IOW, don%26#39;t get anyone%26#39;s hopes too high....
4. Do you mean the hand-tram? That could be combined with a visit to Crow Creek Mine to do a bit of goldpanning. One of the entrances to the trail is near there, and the hand-tram isn%26#39;t too far (http://www.akhs.atfreeweb.com/Hikes/Winner.htm ).
5. No guarantee on whales out of Seward. Maybe consider one that just takes you around the bay to see the harbor seals, sea otters, bird rookery, etc. (eg: majormarine.com/alaska-day-cruises/… ) Maybe you could do that while hubby fishes?
Definitely do SeaLife Center. There is an exhibit there where you can actually touch small sea creatures. Maybe a Puffin Encounter too?
The chances of seeing Belugas in July aren’t great. In fact, the population is dying out and the chances of seeing them anytime are decreasing. However, certainly make an effort to see them, and maybe a bore tide as well:
alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Wildlife/kpbeluga.h…
nps.gov/anch/…boreTides2008.pdf
6. “I figure moose arent going to be that hard to find right?”
Ummmm... wellll...they can be. My first trip to Anchorage, my very first morning I saw a female and her 2 calves just strolling down the street. Great intro, right? But since then I%26#39;ve seen a grand total of one (in Denali). Well, I did catch a glimpse of 3 running together in the distance during the train ride from Anchorage to Seward, but that was literally a few seconds in length and not exactly impressive.
That said, I’ve never gone out and looked for moose (we have lots here in Manitoba). The best suggestions I could give for that are hike/bike Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage, and the drive from Soldotna down to Homer (including Homer, where 500 moose live). Best times to see them are early morning and late evening, though they can stroll through any time.
Just hope where you DON’T meet a moose is on the highway, at least not if you don’t have adequate time to stop or avoid him. And never mess with a moose. If you thought bears were dangerous, be doubly respectful around moose. Bears usually attack only if their “space” is threatened. A moose can attack because it’s Tuesday. Or because the sun is shining. Or because it isn’t. (You get the picture by now, lol, they are unpredictable). So keep your distance if you come across one.
Where you CAN see them close up is at the Wildlife Conservation Center, and I suggest you go there. These are rescued wild animals and it is a much more natural setting than a zoo. You can drive through it, then go back on foot to see what interests you most.
7. The tram ride is in Girdwood (Alyeska Ski Resort). Don’t bother going up if the weather isn’t clear. If you’re really adventurous, try the tandem hang-gliding.
If the 8 year old bores easily, I don’t know that I would include Denali. The absolute minimum shuttle into the park if you hope to see wildlife would be 6 hours. I should also mention that wildlife is never guaranteed. On the bus tour I took, which lasted 9 hours, we saw ONE moose, ONE bear, and several Dall sheep. ALL were dots in the distance without binoculars. Some people see lots of wildlife, but even then, you have long stretches of time when you aren’t seeing anything. You know your son best…it’s a long day’s drive to get there, another to get back to Anchorage, and 6 to 8 hours more on a shuttle into Denali. Also takes up 3 days: doable, but will you be happy with the results? Only you can decide.
My suggestion would be:
A day in Anchorage (Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, SledDog Rodeo, Earthquake Park, Native Heritage Center, watch the floatplanes land on Lake Hood, Trolley tour of city, etc.)
A day about an hour north of Anchorgage: Hatcher Pass/Independence Mine, Palmer to see Musk Ox Farm %26amp; Reindeer Farm %26amp; visitor center, Wasilla to see Iditarod HQ, Eagle River Nature Center, maybe Willow for sled dog tour with Dream a Dream.
A day driving to Seward. Stop at Girdwood for Crow Creek Mine %26amp; Winner Creek Trail to the hand tram and maybe the Alyeska tram if weather is clear (or can try again on your trip back). Stop at Wildlife Conservation Center. Stop at Portage Glacier visitor center to see displays %26amp; film %26amp; take the 1 hour boat tour to the face of the glacier. Do the 1 hour roundtrip hike from that parking lot to actually walk on Byron Glacier and look for iceworms. Maybe a short detour to the tiny mining town of Hope to explore.
A couple of days in Seward. Half day fishing charter, half day cruise of Kenai Fjords or Resurrection Bay, SeaLife Center, Ididaride if you didn’t do Dream a Dream, walk to the face of Exit Glacier (get free Jr. Ranger kit), beachcomb, other hikes.
A day for Cooper Landing to see or participate in “combat” fishing, horseback riding, hiking, take a 2 or 3 hour wildlife float down Kenai River.
A day for Soldotna (bear-viewing if possible, otherwise Kenai Wildlife Refuge and the beach, etc.)
A couple of days for Homer (spend time looking for moose, Pratt Museum, Islands %26amp; Ocean visitor center, Danny J to Halibut Cove (if you do the noon cruise, spends time at Gull Island) or else water taxi around the bay, do a Creatures Under the Dock tour, beachcomb, tidepool (looking for creatures left behind after high tide--son must understand he isn’t to disturb them, just look).
Hope that gives you some ideas.
wow - my head is spinning.
as to the RV - I see a few companies - is there one that based on responses is the best? Seems Great Alaskan claims that but seems ABC is cheaper.
Also somewhere there was a mention of discount coupon books? can someone post that again? I couldnt find it when I went back and looked.
Also as we are going to have super weird flights due to FF miles, I was thinking about just staying in a hotel the first night as its probably cheaper than the $225 to $250/night that it looks like the RV will cost. Maybe even first and last night.
I also was thinking about coming in early with just me and the kids as I am more flexible with time. As to safety with this, what about a woman with 2 kids in Anchorage for a few days? dont know that I would be comfortable driving too far but thought we could get acclimated and have a fun time. Input?
thanks again
';Seems Great Alaskan claims that but seems ABC is cheaper';
Sorry, I can%26#39;t help you with that. I rent cars! :-) Either do a search in these forums for those 2 companies, or maybe someone will come along that can compare them for you. Check whether you have to do the cleaning at the end, etc. Also one has a coupon in Toursaver or Northern Lights, don%26#39;t recall the details but you can look them up on the websites:
Coupon Books:
Toursaver: www.toursaver.com
Northern Lights: www.alaska-discounts.com/
';As to safety with this, what about a woman with 2 kids in Anchorage for a few days?';
No problem. Use common sense (be aware of your surroundings) and you%26#39;ll be fine. This thread might reassure you:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g143022-i1271-k250…
You and the kids can rent a car for those first couple of days and have a blast. If you%26#39;re looking for an inexpensive place to stay, consider Eagle River Motel a few minutes north of the city. Also has microwave and mini-fridge, which I find are very handy. Meals are expensive in Alaska.
But first find out about the RV. When you take the cost of a rental car and hotel into consideration, probably works out about the same. The car might be easier for you, though, until hubby gets there.
We took an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old to Alaska last summer. They loved being in an RV. (We used Great Alaskan, and were happy with them.)
The shuttle bus in Denali did get a little long for them, but they enjoyed it enough to go again the next day (to Eielson the first day, Toklat the second). It helped to get off and hike a bit. You can borrow a backpack of activities at the visitor center -- our kids particularly enjoyed the pocket wildlife guides.
As for sled dogs, we visited the Denali kennels and the Iditarod headquarters, and did the cart ride with Seavey. All were different experiences, and our kids loved them all.
If your kids are really adventurous, you might consider sea kayaking out of Seward. You can take a water taxi along the same route the tour boats go, see the same wildlife, and break up the boat ride by kayaking near a glacier. It can be pricey, though.
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